2002 WIAC Football Athletes of the Week

2002 Football
Athletes of the Week

Week of Nov. 11 - 17
Offense
Scott Burnoski, Sophomore (Rochester, Minn./Century), Wide Receiver of UW-La Crosse
Burnoski caught five passes for a career-high 197 yards (39.4 average) and one touchdown in UW-La Crosse's 28-27 victory at UW-Stout. The victory gave the Eagles the WIAC title and automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs. He caught a 55-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. The 197 yards is the sixth highest total for a single game in school history and the second highest mark in the conference this season.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Brad Newton, Senior, Tight End, Baldwin (Baldwin-Woodville)
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Wara, Sophomore, Quarterback, Oshkosh (North)
UW-River Falls, John Peterlik, Sophomore, Halfback, Cadott
UW-Stevens Point, Cory Flisakowski, Sophomore, Running Back, Stevens Point (SPASH)
UW-Stout, Ryan Englebert, Freshman, Running Back, Sturgeon Bay (Southern Door)

Defense
Justin Schneider, Senior (West Bend/East), Defensive End of UW-Oshkosh
Schneider totaled 10 tackles, including eight solo, as UW-Oshkosh rallied to defeat UW-Whitewater, 21-20, Saturday, November 16. He had three tackles for losses, including a seven-yard quarterback sack, as well as breaking up three passes and forcing one fumble.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Dan Larson, Senior, Defensive Lineman, Baldwin (Baldwin-Woodville)
UW-La Crosse, Jeremy Nickelotti, Sophomore, Strong Safety, La Crescent, Minn.
UW-River Falls, Kyle Hoegh, Sophomore, Linebacker, Byron, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Dillon Maney, Senior, Defensive Back, Three Lakes
UW-Stout, Jamie Spielman, Senior, Linebacker, Menomonie

Special Teams
Bryan Morris, Senior (Onalaska), Kicker/Punter of UW-La Crosse
Morris averaged 43.4 yards on seven punts in UW-La Crosse's 28-27 victory at UW-Stout. He had a season-long 60-yard punt in the game and finished with four punts inside the 20-yard line. Morris was also four-of-four on extra-point attempts, including a crucial 35-yard conversion in the fourth quarter after a penalty against the Eagles.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Matt Brink, Junior, Punter, Madison (Memorial)
UW-Oshkosh, Nic Sydorowicz, Junior, Split End, Neillsville
UW-River Falls, Matt Farmer, Sophomore, Linebacker, Tomahawk
UW-Stevens Point, Dan Heldmann, Freshman, Kicker, Sturgeon Bay (Southern Door)

Week of Nov. 4 - 10
Offense
Jason VanderVelden, Junior (Winneconne), Running Back of UW-Stevens Point
VanderVelden scored the first and last of four unanswered Pointer touchdowns in UW-Stevens Point’s 34-28 overtime win over UW-Platteville. He scored on a 10-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7, and then added a 47-yard scoring run near the end of the third quarter to give the Pointers a 28-7 lead. VanderVelden ended the day with career highs of 129 yards and 23 carries. He also added two receptions for eight yards.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Mike Smith, Senior, Fullback, Portage
UW-Oshkosh, Andy Stern, Freshman, Running Back, Wisconsin Rapids
UW-Platteville, Matt Kent, Junior, Wide Receiver, Gratiot (Black Hawk)
UW-River Falls, John Peterlik, Sophomore, Halfback, Cadott
UW-Stout, Julio Vargas, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Luxemburg (Southern Door)
UW-Whitewater, Keiya Square, Sophomore, Running Back, Delavan

Defense
Dustin Powell, Junior (Norwalk/Tomah), Linebacker of UW-La Crosse
Powell recorded his first two career interceptions in UW-La Crosse’s 26-9 victory over 15th-ranked UW-Eau Claire. His interception in the first quarter set up the Eagles at the Blugold 38-yard line and led to a seven-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0. With UW-La Crosse leading 14-9 midway through the fourth quarter, UW-Eau Claire drove to the Eagles’ 15-yard line before Powell intercepted a pass and returned it 90-yards for a touchdown to give UW-La Crosse a 20-9 lead. The interception return is tied for the fifth-longest in school history. Powell also had four solo tackles and two pass break-ups in the game.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Andrew Jones, Freshman, Inside Linebacker, Wild Rose
UW-Oshkosh, Tom Turner, Sophomore, Linebacker, Westfield
UW-River Falls, Kyle Hoegh, Sophomore, Linebacker, Byron, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Craig Johnson, Sophomore, Defensive End, Green Bay (Preble)
UW-Stout, Tyrone Rhone, Senior, Defensive Back, Milwaukee (Vincent)
UW-Whitewater, Andy Lobdell, Junior, Linebacker, Lena, Ill.

Special Teams
Joe Mabry, Junior (Delavan/Delavan-Darien), Defensive Back of UW-Whitewater
Mabry helped UW-Whitewater to a 23-20 victory over UW-Stout on Saturday that put the Warhawks in the conference title race. In the third quarter, UW-Whitewater blocked a game-tying field goal attempt by the Blue Devils and Mabry scooped up the loose ball and returned it 66 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Mabry also had four solo tackles and one unassisted tackle in the game.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Matt Brink, Junior, Punter, Madison (Memorial)
UW-La Crosse, Ben Dorsey, Sophomore, Tailback, Omro
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Kilton, Freshman, Strong Safety, Waukesha (North)
UW-Platteville, Dan Holz, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Fort Atkinson
UW-River Falls, Aaron Retzlaff, Freshman, Long Snapper, Shawano
UW-Stevens Point, Blaine Klopotek, Senior, Defensive Back, Wausau (D.C. Everest)
UW-Stout, Chris Parent, Sophomore, Punter, Racine (Brownsburg, Ind.)

Week of Oct. 28 - Nov. 3
Offense
Nels Fredrickson, Sophomore (Burnsville, Minn.), Quarterback of UW-Eau Claire
Fredrickson completed 23 of 34 pass attempts in a thrilling 30-23 victory over UW-Whitewater at Carson Park in Eau Claire. While completing 67 percent of his passes, he also threw for 366 yards and a touchdown. He spread out the Warhawk defense by completing passes to six different receivers and also ran for 60 yards on 15 attempts and a touchdown. Fredrickson’s 426 yards of total offense on the day marked the second-highest total in the conference this season.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Andrew Mocadlo, Junior, Tailback, Wisconsin Rapids (Lincoln)
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Wara, Sophomore, Quarterback, Oshkosh (North)
UW-River Falls, Brad Roy, Senior, Offensive Tackle, Elk River, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, LaRon Ragsdale, Freshman, Wide Receiver, Milwaukee (Madison)
UW-Stout, Nick Ohman, Sophomore, Quarterback, Glenwood City
UW-Whitewater, Randy Borgardt, Senior, Quarterback, Racine (Park)

Defense
Lewis Parish, Freshman (Onalaska), Cornerback of UW-River Falls
Parish got UW-River Falls on the scoreboard against UW-La Crosse when he returned a fumble 71 yards for touchdown early in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7. In the third quarter, he intercepted a UW-La Crosse pass that gave the Falcons the ball at the Eagle 41-yard line. Parish added six solo tackles and a pass defended in the game.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Nick Draeger, Senior, Outside Linebacker, Waterloo
UW-La Crosse, Jeremy Duerr, Junior, Defensive Tackle, Pittsville
UW-Oshkosh, Craig Korth, Sophomore, Linebacker, Menasha
UW-Stevens Point, Jared Flesch, Freshman, Cornerback, Pulaski
UW-Stout, Mark Ralph, Senior, Linebacker, Colfax
UW-Whitewater, Fulton Bell, Sophomore, Defensive Back, Racine (Case)

Special Teams
Jordan Sinz, Sophomore (Edgar), Defensive Back of UW-Stout
Sinz returned a punt 25 yards that set up UW-Stout’s first touchdown in the first quarter, then in the second quarter, he forced a fumble on a UW-Stevens Point punt return that the Blue Devils converted into their third touchdown on the way to a 37-13 victory over the Pointers. Sinz also had one solo tackle in the contest.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Mike LaBarbera, Junior, Safety, Eau Claire (Memorial)
UW-La Crosse, Todd Kes, Junior, Long Snapper, Lakeville, Minn.
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Weber, Sophomore, Running Back, Sheboygan Falls
UW-River Falls, Adam Bergdahl, Sophomore, Kicker, North Branch, Minn.
UW-Whitewater, K.C. Goad, Junior, Kicker, Belvidere, Ill.

Week of Oct. 21 - 27
Offense
Erik Ferguson, Junior (Eyota, Minn./Eyota-Dover), Wide Receiver of UW-Eau Claire
Ferguson caught four passes for 72 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help UW-Eau Claire to a 42-35 victory at UW-Platteville. His 34-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter gave the Blugolds a 21-0 lead and his 31-yard reception with 1:11 remaining in the game capped a 15-play, 80-yard drive to give the Blugolds the win.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Ross Moline, Senior, Tailback, La Crosse (Aquinas)
UW-Oshkosh, Andy Stern, Freshman, Running Back, Wisconsin Rapids
UW-River Falls, Brad Roy, Senior, Elk River, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Tony Romano, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Waunakee
UW-Stout, Matt Schaeuble, Sophomore, Fullback, Wrightown
UW-Whitewater, Adam Whittaker, Junior, Tight End, Muskego

Defense
Mitch Repka, Junior (Holcombe/Lake Holcombe), Linebacker of UW-Platteville
Repka had 18 tackles, 15 of them solos, with one coming for a two-yard loss in the Pioneers' 42-35 loss to UW-Eau Claire Saturday. He had 12 tackles in the first half alone.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Mike LaBarbera, Junior, Safety, Eau Claire (Memorial)
UW-La Crosse, Josh Moon, Senior, Cornerback, Wautoma
UW-Oshkosh, Craig Korth, Sophomore, Linebacker, Menasha
UW-River Falls, Josh Meyer, Sophomore, Defensive Tackle, Darien (Delavan-Darien)
UW-Stevens Point, Nick Haffele, Junior, Linebacker, Monroe
UW-Stout, Joe Kersten, Junior, Defensive Lineman, Menasha
UW-Whitewater, Josh Sternquist, Junior, Defensive Back, Belvidere, Ill.

Special Teams
Dan Flanagan, Senior (Mazomanie/Wisconsin Heights), Defensive End of UW-Whitewater
Flanagan blocked a pair of field goals in Saturday's game against UW-La Crosse. The first block was a 38-yard attempt in the second quarter and the second block, a 45-yard attempt in the third quarter, was returned for a touchdown to even the score at six. Flanagan also forced a UW-La Crosse failed two-point conversion attempt late in the third quarter.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Brett Etzel, Junior, Long Snapper, Oconomowoc
UW-La Crosse, Nate Ihde, Sophomore, Fullback, Reedsburg
UW-Oshkosh, Ryan Fitzgerald, Freshman, Placekicker, Wauwatosa (East)
UW-Platteville, Reggie Davis, Senior, Wide Receiver, Madison (East)
UW-River Falls, Aaron Retzlaff, Freshman, Long Snapper, Shawano
UW-Stevens Point, Dillon Maney, Senior, Punter, Three Lakes
UW-Stout, Arik Gunderson, Freshman, Linebacker, Osseo (Osseo-Fairchild)

Week of Oct. 14 - 20
Offense
Matt Kent, Junior (Gratiot/Black Hawk), Wide Receiver of UW-Platteville
Kent, who was questionable most of the week because of an injured ankle, played Saturday against UW-Whitewater and had the greatest day of receiving in UW-Platteville history when he caught 13 passes for a school record 288 yards and four touchdowns. He came within 15 yards of the WIAC single-game record. Kent caught touchdown passes of 82, 24, 22 and 68 yards. He also caught a two-point conversion from Tom Stetzer and returned the favor by throwing a two-point pass to Stetzer. With 291 total yards and 28 points, Kent accounted for 78 percent of the Pioneers’ yards and 85 percent of their points.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Andrew Lehman, Sophomore, Tight End, Onalaska
UW-Oshkosh, Andy Stern, Freshman, Running Back, Wisconsin Rapids
UW-River Falls, Dustin Vogelgesang, Junior, Quarterback, Hastings, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Cory Flisakowski, Sophomore, Running Back, Stevens Point (SPASH)
UW-Stout, Luke Bundgaard, Junior, Tailback, Weyerhaeuser (Bruce)
UW-Whitewater, Andy Rice, Junior, Wide Receiver, McFarland

Defense
Nick Haffele, Junior (Monroe), Linebacker of UW-Stevens Point
Haffele achieved career highs in total tackles and unassisted tackles in the Pointers 38-27 victory over UW-River Falls. Haffele made 16 total tackles, 11 of which were solo efforts, and recorded two tackles behind the line of scrimmage for a total of nine yards lost. He also forced and recovered a fourth quarter fumble, which led to the Pointers final touchdown.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Khary Jeffers, Junior, Defensive End, Green Bay (Notre Dame)
UW-Oshkosh, Justin Schneider, Senior, Defensive End, West Bend (East)
UW-River Falls, Nate Hendrickson, Junior, Defensive End, Prescott
UW-Stout, Jamie Spielman, Senior, Linebacker, Menomonie
UW-Whitewater, Andy Lobdell, Junior, Linebacker, Lena, Ill.

Special Teams
Tyrone Rhone, Senior (Milwaukee/Vincent), Cornerback of UW-Stout
Rhone returned four punts for a total of 50 yards and returned a kickoff 60 yards to the Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 35-yard line, setting up the touchdown to break a 7-7 tie, and UW-Stout never trailed the rest of the way in a 27-21 victory on Saturday.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Ben Dorsey, Sophomore, Tailback, Omro
UW-Oshkosh, Phil Bradfield, Senior, Defensive Back, Hales Corners (Whitnall)
UW-River Falls, Brad Malpert, Sophomore, Long Snapper, Ringle (D.C. Everest)
UW-Stevens Point, Chad Cartier, Sophomore, Long Snapper, Waunakee
UW-Whitewater, Derek Brown, Sophomore, Defensive Back, Fort Atkinson

Week of Oct. 7 - 13
Offense
Scott Krause, Junior (Waunakee), Quarterback of UW-Stevens Point
Krause ran for a career-high 134 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown dash, in the Pointers 17-14 victory at UW-Whitewater. His big run gave the Pointers the lead for good with 11:47 to play in the game. Krause also threw for 139 yards, including a four-yard touchdown toss to Ross Adamczak in the second quarter.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Joe Gast, Freshman, Running Back, Wauconia, Minn.
UW-La Crosse, Scott Burnoski, Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Rochester, Minn. (Century)
UW-Oshkosh, Kris Johnson, Senior, Wide Receiver, Florence
UW-Stout, Ryan Englebert, Freshman, Tailback, Sturgeon Bay (Southern Door)
UW-Whitewater, Chad Wurth, Junior, Running Back, Monona (Monona Grove)

Defense
Eric Moe, Senior (Hixton/Whitehall), Defensive Back of UW-Stout
On a day that the UW-Stout defense shined in a 24-3 victory over UW-Oshkosh, no individual shone brighter than Moe, as he recorded three interceptions with a 34-yard touchdown return and 56 total yards in returns. Entering the season, Moe had 15 career interceptions, tying him with the school record. He made his record-setting tally at the 5:31 mark of the second quarter, picking off a Nick Wara pass at the 50-yard line and returning it 22 yards to set up Stout’s second touchdown of the day. Moe got his second interception just before halftime on the Stout 4-yard line, stopping an Oshkosh drive. He capped off his day with a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:08 remaining in the game.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Nick Goeser, Senior, Defensive Lineman, Scandinavia (Iola-Scandinavia)
UW-La Crosse, Adam Schneider, Sophomore, Linebacker, Waterloo
UW-Oshkosh, Justin Schneider, Senior, Defensive Lineman, West Bend (East)
UW-Platteville, Mitch Repka, Junior, Linebacker, Holcombe (Lake Holcombe)
UW-River Falls, Jeff Horton, Junior, Defensive End, Oakdale, Minn. (Tartan)
UW-Stevens Point, Clint Bakken, Sophomore, Defensive Lineman, Boulder Junction (Lakeland)
UW-Whitewater, Mike Saddy, Senior, Defensive Tackle, Muskego

Special Teams
Matt Farmer, Sophomore (Tomahawk), Linebacker of UW-River Falls
Farmer helped the Falcons get points on the scoreboard on Saturday at Eau Claire. He blocked a Blugold punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Nick Diciaula, Junior, Kicker, Brookfield (Central)
UW-La Crosse, Robin Finco, Sophomore, Fullback, Onalaska
UW-Oshkosh, Ryan Fitzgerald, Freshman, Kicker, Wauwatosa (East)
UW-Stevens Point, Blaine Klopotek, Senior, Defensive Back, Wausau (D.C. Everest)
UW-Stout, Erick Hawkins, Sophomore, Linebacker, Akron, Ohio (Garfield)
UW-Whitewater, Kyle Haug, Junior, Punter, Waukesha (Memorial)

Week of Sept. 30 - Oct. 6
Offense
Tom Stetzer, Junior (Black River Falls), Quarterback of UW-Platteville
Stetzer led UW-Platteville to a 34-31 overtime victory against conference favorite and 15th-ranked UW-Stout by throwing for 378 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed 13 times for 48 yards, giving him 426 yards against a defense that had yielded just 422 yards in its first three games. Despite taking a battering from the Stout linemen and blitzing linebackers, Stetzer directed the Pioneers on five scoring drives of 49 yards or longer. He completed touchdown passes of 68, 39, 44 and 14 yards, the latter coming in overtime to win the game. The victory was Platteville's first win in a conference opener since the 1985 season.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Nels Fredrickson, Sophomore, Quarterback, Burnsville, Minn.
UW-La Crosse, Matt Rizzo, Senior, Wide Receiver, Kenosha (Tremper)
UW-River Falls, Brian Grossenbacher, Junior, Halfback, Clayton
UW-Stevens Point, Jeff Sieg, Junior, Offensive Lineman, Tony (Flambeau)
UW-Stout, Nick Ohman, Sophomore, Quarterback, Glenwood City
UW-Whitewater, Kyle Mayhugh, Junior, Fullback, Delavan

Defense
Adam Schneider, Sophomore (Waterloo), Linebacker of UW-La Crosse
Schneider had seven tackles, two for loss, and his first career interception in UW-La Crosse's 31-25 victory at 14th-ranked UW-Stevens Point. His interception came with 15 seconds remaining in the game to secure the win for the Eagles.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Brad Gawronski, Senior, Inside Linebacker, Reedsburg (Webb)
UW-River Falls, Nic Rue, Junior, Defensive Tackle, Portage
UW-Stout, Eric Moe, Senior, Defensive Back, Hixton (Whitehall)
UW-Whitewater, Dan Flanagan, Senior, Defensive End, Mazomanie (Wisconsin Heights)

Special Teams
Cory Flisakowski, Sophomore (Stevens Point/SPASH), Running Back of UW-Stevens Point
Flisakowski amassed 262 all-purpose yards, including a conference record-tying kickoff return in the Pointers game against UW-La Crosse on Saturday. He returned a first quarter kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to give the Pointers a 7-3 lead. The 99-yard mark matched the longest return in WIAC history. UW-Platteville's Jay Bartz and Ken Jakubowski combined for the same feat against UW-Oshkosh in 1977, while UW-Stevens Point's Larry Holmes accomplished the mark against UW-Platteville in 1963. Flisakowski also caught a 27-yard touchdown pass and gained 106 yards rushing.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Mike Eubanks, Senior, Safety, Cedarburg
UW-La Crosse, Nate Ihde, Sophomore, Fullback, Reedsburg
UW-River Falls, Lewis Parish, Freshman, Defensive Back, Onalaska
UW-Stout, Tyrone Rhone, Senior, Defensive Back, Milwaukee (Vincent)
UW-Whitewater, Tom Karthausser, Junior, Defensive Back, Franklin

Week of Sept. 23 - 29
Offense
Luke Bundgaard, Junior (Weyerhaeuser/Bruce), Running Back of UW-Stout
Bundgaard rushed 30 times for 169 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Blue Devils defeated St. Thomas (Minn.), 28-7, on September 28. He scored both of his touchdowns in the second quarter, bulling over from the 1-yard line twice, the second time coming two seconds before halftime. Bundgaard is currently third on the UW-Stout all-time rushing list.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Brian McIntyre, Senior, Right Tackle, Minneapolis, Minn. (Woodbury)
UW-Oshkosh, Kris Johnson, Senior, Wide Receiver, Florence
UW-River Falls, Tom Pulford, Junior, Quarterback, Perham, Minn.

Defense
Austin Crow, Junior (Woodbury, Minn.), Outside Linebacker of UW-Eau Claire
Crow set up the lone offensive touchdown of the game in UW-Eau Claire’s 12-10 win over UW-Oshkosh. In the third quarter, he intercepted a Nick Wara flat pass and returned it 26 yards to the Oshkosh 33-yard line. The Blugolds scored three plays later to give them a 9-3 lead at that point. He also forced a fumble with 7:55 left in the game, which allowed the Blugolds to drive for their winning field goal with 3:46 remaining. Crow totaled six tackles including two sacks for a loss of five yards in the game and was credited with three passes defended. The Blugolds held the Titans to 235 yards of total offense on 68 plays.

Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Dustin Drexel, Sophomore, Defensive Tackle, Campbellsport
UW-River Falls, Kyle Hoegh, Sophomore, Linebacker, Byron, Minn.
UW-Stout, Jamie Spielman, Senior, Linebacker, Menomonie

Special Teams
Adam Bergdahl, Sophomore (North Branch, Minn.), Punter of UW-River Falls
Bergdahl punted seven times and averaged 38.1 yards a kick in UW-River Falls’ 23-14 win at St. Ambrose (Iowa). His long punt on the day was 51 yards. Bergdahl also kicked a 24-yard field goal in the second quarter, which capped an eight-play, 34-yard drive and gave the Falcons a 10-0 lead.

Also nominated:
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Kilton, Freshman, Strong Safety, Waukesha (North)
UW-Stout, Chris Parent, Sophomore, Punter, Racine (Brownsburg, Ind.)

Week of Sept. 16 - 22
Offense
Nick Ohman, Sophomore (Glenwood City), Quarterback of UW-Stout
Ohman led UW-Stout to a 39-14 win over No. 13 UW-Eau Claire, mostly on the strength of a very impressive first half. He led the Blue Devils to touchdowns on their first five drives, tossing three touchdown strikes. In the first half, Ohman was 17-for-24 with 206 yards and added 53 yards rushing in four attempts as UW-Stout piled up 362 yards of offense on 52 plays. Ohman threw touchdown passes of 14-, 23- and 38-yards in the game as the Blue Devils won their conference opener for the third-straight season.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Darrick Smith, Junior, Tailback, Kenosha (Bradford)
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Weber, Sophomore, Running Back, Sheboygan Falls
UW-Platteville, Reggie Davis, Senior, Wide Receiver, Madison (East)
UW-Stevens Point, Eric Heidenreiter, Senior, Wide Receiver, Sheboygan Falls
UW-Whitewater, Chad Wurth, Junior, Running Back, Monona (Monona Grove)

Defense
Nick Carlson, Senior (Menasha), Free Safety of UW-Oshkosh
Carlson returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter in UW-Oshkosh’s 33-24 win over Lakeland on September 21. One minute, five seconds later he returned a punt 28 yards for a touchdown as the Titans increased their lead over the Muskies to 19-0. Carlson, who also returned a pass interception 48 yards for a score against Wartburg (Iowa) in the season opener, recorded four solo tackles, one assisted tackle, one pass broken up and five punt returns for 65 yards in addition to the pass interception against Lakeland.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Josh Hamre, Freshman, Linebacker, Pella, Iowa
UW-Stevens Point, Craig Johnson, Sophomore, Defensive End, Green Bay (Preble)
UW-Stout, Joe Kersten, Junior, Defensive Lineman, Menasha (Fox Valley Lutheran)
UW-Whitewater, Mike Bauler, Sophomore, Defensive Lineman, Whitewater

Special Teams
Cory Flisakowski, Sophomore (Stevens Point/SPASH), Running Back of UW-Stevens Point
Flisakowski had a great day on kick returns for the Pointers against Butler (Ind.). He had six kickoff returns on the day for a total of 154 yards. His 25.7 yards per return average gave the Pointers good starting field position most of the day.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Mike LaBarbera, Junior, Eau Claire (Memorial)
UW-La Crosse, Joe Wegner, Senior, Cornerback, Grafton
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Kilton, Freshman, Strong Safety, Waukesha (North)
UW-Stout, Chris Ryder, Sophomore, Long Snapper, Menomonie
UW-Whitewater, Kevin Garvoille, Senior, Offensive Lineman, Oregon

Week of Sept. 9 - 15
Offense
Tony Romano, Sophomore (Waunakee), Wide Receiver of UW-Stevens Point
Romano caught two touchdown passes, both of them during the Pointers’ 25-point second half rally in their 31-17 victory at Ohio Northern, which was ranked No. 6 nationally entering the contest. He followed a 14-yard touchdown reception with a 15-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter which put the Pointers ahead for good. Romano ended the game with four catches for 43 yards.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Mike Bestul, Senior, Offensive Lineman, Chippewa Falls (Chi-Hi)
UW-La Crosse, Chester Janke, Junior, Tight End, Black River Falls
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Wara, Sophomore, Quarterback, Oshkosh (North)
UW-River Falls, DJ Beyer, Freshman, Fullback, White Bear Lake, Minn.
UW-Stout, Luke Bundgaard, Junior, Running Back, Weyerhaeuser (Bruce)
UW-Whitewater, Jay Lorino, Senior, Tight End, Franklin

Defense
Kevin Dewey, Junior (Burnsville, Minn.), Defensive Back of UW-Stout
Dewey forced three Millsaps (Miss.) turnovers that UW-Stout turned into 13 points (one touchdown and two field goals). He had a fumble recovery, a 16-yard interception return, forced a fumble and had a 10-yard quarterback sack. Dewey also broke up one pass in the Blue Devils’ 30-6 season-opening win over the Majors.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Dan Larson, Senior, Defensive Tackle, Baldwin (Baldwin-Woodville)
UW-La Crosse, Thaddeus Rego, Senior, Defensive Tackle, Reedsburg
UW-Oshkosh, Dan Piontek, Senior, Cornerback, Cudahy
UW-River Falls, Nick Rue, Junior, Defensive Tackle, Portage
UW-Stevens Point, Ryan Bentley, Sophomore, Defensive Back, Waunakee
UW-Whitewater, Eric Salopek, Senior, Defensive Back, Madison (La Follette)

Special Teams
Chad Wurth, Junior (Monona/Monona Grove), Kicker of UW-Whitewater
Wurth accounted for all of the Warhawks’ points in a 9-7 victory over Eastern Oregon in La Grande, Ore. In windy conditions, he drilled field goals from 47 and 44 yards in the second quarter to give UW-Whitewater a 6-0 halftime advantage. Wurth’s 37-yard kick with 5:51 remaining in the fourth quarter capped an 11-play, 60-yard drive to give the Warhawks the win.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Justin Greenwood, Sophomore, Linebacker, Park Falls
UW-La Crosse, Ben Dorsey, Sophomore, Tailback, Omro
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Kilton, Freshman, Strong Safety, Waukesha (North)
UW-River Falls, Roman Johnson, Sophomore, Defensive Back, Clearwater, Fla.
UW-Stevens Point, Ryan Mullaney, Freshman, Kicker, Waupaca
UW-Stout, Justin Zmyewski, Sophomore, Kicker, Houston, Minn. (Rushford-Peterson)

Week of Sept. 2 - 8
Offense
Matt Makaryk, Senior (Plainfield/Tri-County), Quarterback of UW-La Crosse
Making his first career collegiate start, Makaryk finished 14-of-27 passing for 307 yards and three touchdowns in UW-La Crosse’s 31-17 victory at NCAA Division II Washburn (Kan.). He also rushed seven times for 42 yards, including a six-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Erik Ferguson, Junior, Wide Receiver, Eyota, Minn.
UW-Oshkosh, Steve Wagner, Senior, Wide Receiver, Lomira
UW-River Falls, John Peterlik, Sophomore, Halfback, Cadott
UW-Stevens Point, Scott Krause, Junior, Quarterback, Waunakee
UW-Whitewater, Adam Whittaker, Junior, Tight End, Muskego

Defense
Brad Gawronski, Senior (Reedsburg), Linebacker of UW-Eau Claire
Gawronski led the Blugold defense with 13 tackles including 10 solos in the 28-21 overtime victory over St. John’s (Minn.). He was credited with one sack for seven yards and three total tackles for loss. The Blugolds stopped the St. John’s running game, holding the Johnnies to 81 yards on 33 carries. The Johnnies did not score against the Blugold defense until the 8:41 mark of the third quarter. UW-Eau Claire had built a 21-0 lead by that time.

Also nominated:
UW-Eau Claire, Brad Gawronski, Senior, Linebacker, Reedsburg
UW-La Crosse, Rob Beauchaine, Junior, Cornerback, Circle Pines, Minn. (Centennial)
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Carlson, Senior, Defensive Back, Menasha
UW-Platteville, Shawn Busch, Junior, Defensive Lineman, Cuba City
UW-River Falls, Luke Miska, Senior, Defensive Back, Silver Lake, Minn. (Glencoe-Silver Lake)
UW-Stevens Point, Clint Bakken, Sophomore, Defensive Lineman, Boulder Junction (Lakeland)
UW-Whitewater, Dan Flanagan, Senior, Defensive End, Mazomanie (Wisconsin Heights)

Special Teams
Derek Sikora, Freshman (Neillsville), Cornerback of UW-Eau Claire
Sikora gave the Blugolds the momentum when he returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown after St. John’s (Minn.) was forced to punt on the first possession of the game. He also returned another punt 14 yards and returned two kickoffs for 50 yards as the Blugolds built a 21-0 first quarter lead, then held off the Johnnies to win 28-21 in overtime.

Also nominated:
UW-La Crosse, Bryan Morris, Senior, Kicker/Punter, Onalaska
UW-Oshkosh, Nick Kilton, Freshman, Defensive Back, Waukesha (North)
UW-Platteville, Jason Borchardt, Sophomore, Kicker, West Allis (Nathan Hale)
UW-River Falls, Adam Bergdahl, Sophomore, Punter/Kicker, North Branch, Minn.
UW-Stevens Point, Dillon Maney, Senior, Punter, Three Lakes
UW-Whitewater, Derek Brown, Sophomore, Defensive Back, Fort Atkinson

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